WORLD WIDE ROBIN HOOD SOCIETY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS AS ONE OF THE LEADING INFORMATION SOURCES ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE LEGENDARY SHERWOOD OUTLAW.On March 17th2018, the Nottingham-based World Wide Robin Hood Society will mark its 20th Anniversary Year with a programme of varied initiatives including:*The publication of a new book about Robin Hood and the legend’s global impact.*A local cookery contest to find the best recipe for a Robin Hood Pie.*Anniversary theme to the Society’s annual “Feather in Your Cap” business awards. *A children’s story writing competition.*Developing an illustrated Robin Hood talk available to groups and societies.Although the Society was originally a membership-based organisation, over the last 2 decades it has evolved into one of the leading internet-based information resources on all things associated with Robin Hood. It is used extensively by the media and the tourism industry and the Society has contributed to numerous global television documentaries and historical features including BBC’s The One Show; Sky Travel Channel’s “Expedition Unknown” series and French TV’s “Secrets Histoire” series. The Society has also participated in hundreds of radio programmes around the globe, including South America, the USA, Europe, Korea and Australia. Society Chairman, Bob White, said “The very first Robin Hood Society was established in London in the 1700’S and was a club or assembly for public debate. It held its popular, regular meetings in the Robin Hood public house in Butcher Row, near Temple Bar, which is how the Society acquired its name. In the 1970’s, a Nottingham-based Robin Hood Society was created by the local historian and Robin Hood expert, Jim Lees, and its members often dressed up in costume as various characters from the Sherwood tales and helped raise funds for local charities. In the Nineties, Nottingham City Council joined forces with the Nottingham Evening Post and set up a Robin Hood Club especially aimed at youngsters, which featured a series of cartoon woodland animals known as “The Tails of Sherwood”.The present day, internet-based World Wide Robin Hood Society was originally the inspiration of co-founder and sponsor, Mike Douglas from Hull, who established a successful communications business in Nottingham in the late 1990’s. He said “Over the past twenty years the Society has seen many changes but the phenomenal global interest in Robin Hood has never faltered and the legendary outlaw continues to be an iconic figure with a massive international fan base, and he regularly features in new films, books and the global media.”For further information contact Bob White on e-mail at bob@robinhood.info or by phone on (0115) 9523183 or mobile 07504 852731 or visit the Society website at www.robinhood.infoRead more...

NEW ROBIN HOOD BOOK by historian and TV presenter Mark Olly

Red our review...

“The Life and Times of the Real Robyn Hoode” by Mark Olly

With no proven, undisputed historical evidence being available as to just who Robin Hood actually was, the “man or myth” conundrum has continued to be a mystery that has fascinated generation after generation and turned the English folklore hero into an iconic global legend. Consequently, there are numerous speculative and plausible theories about his existence, lineage, birthplace and burial site etc. to keep academics and enthusiasts occupied for years to come or until there is an extremely unlikely “Richard III moment” when someone discovers a DNA linked skeleton!

In the meantime, historians and individuals fastidiously comb through centuries of manuscripts and medieval records to try to piece together the intriguing puzzle that is further complicated by a blurring of the historic fact and the development and fusing of the tales into traditional folklore legend. In fact, it is often said that Robin Hood has become a million times richer as an icon of popular culture than as a genuine historical figure!

Whatever your views and opinions, Mark Olly’s “The Life and Times of the Real Robyn Hoode” is an excellent place to start.

Using literary archaeology, the author has logically brought together the historical background authenticated by existing material and records and produced a credible timeline into which the various aspects, characters and locations associated with the legend can be feasibly connected. His decision to place all the original source texts relating to the life of the real Robyn Hoode in BOLD TYPE so it can be read as a complete separate narrative if desired and to show all the source manuscripts and quotes in Italics, also helps the reader to differentiate between the origins of the material.

Mark has deliberately avoided getting “side-tracked” by the explosion of contemporary popular culture associated with the legend and perhaps the book’s greatest achievement lies in the style of writing and presentation. Although it is packed with interesting, relevant information, this is not a “stuffy” reference source and in its easy- to-read 202 pages Mark Olly has compactly set out the background for any interested readers to “investigate” the complexity of the Robin Hood legend for themselves.

Over the years, I have read and reviewed many Robin Hood related books, both fact and fiction and in my opinion this is one of the best recent reference works on the subject.

Bob White, Chairman, World Wide Robin Hood Society.

“The Life and Times of the Real Robyn Hoode” by Mark Olly is published in paperback by Chronos Books and priced at £9.99.